My place in the sun: The Deepest Cut
by Link Slate
Summary: A storm rages throughout Konoha as Naruto struggles to come to grips with the fact that he will never again find his 'Place in the sun.' The remnants of an extremely vivid and horrifying dream on my part. Rated "T" for mildly suggestive adult themes. One-shot.


**DISCLAIMER:**** The following is a non-profit fan-written story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. I do not own any of Naruto's or Naruto Shippuden's characters (as much as I'd like to) and I never will. Please support the official release.**

**And I may or may not be in love with Hinata Hyuga. Deal with it.**

'… _Enough.'_

The rainstorm ravaged through the Hidden Leaf Village as his eyes grew increasingly sore. Every stained drop against the roof echoed a disdainful chorus through the walls of his house. While he had always found the rain beautiful, alluring and calming, tonight he found it nothing but a burning reminder that his house was empty…

A painful reminder that she wasn't there…

Not anymore.

Naruto couldn't stand it. The deafening symphony of rain that stampeded along his roof was enough to drive him mad, forcing his eyes open time after time. A crunch of thunder was heard booming over Konoha as he sat bolt upright, sweat beading across his forehead as he grew increasingly frustrated with his newly erratic sleeping pattern. After spending almost every night of the past nine years lying beside the comforting warmth that she so easily spread to others, settling in to this unfortunate turn of events seemed an impossible task. But no one would blame him. No one _could _blame him. No one knew how they could, or dared even try to, console the young man. Sasuke, Sakura, Neji… even Tsunade, with her vast array of knowledge couldn't bring herself to attempt to ignite a smile upon the face of the young man. As the rage of the storm welled inside him, he forced his head back onto his pillow as his eyes averted to the picture frame still standing on the table beside his bed.

The picture they took on the day he proposed.

"_Wh-what do you mean, Naruto? Of course I know what day it is, silly," she said through a soft laugh, lightly dotting her flour covered finger on his nose, "that's why I'm making you… this."_

_Drifting over to the table, she smiled excitedly as she pointed to the recipe halfway down the page on the morning of Naruto's twentieth birthday. Donning warm boots, a thick floor-length black dress and her usual lavender coat, she twirled throughout her playground, gracefully flaring her dress as she came to rest in the arms of the man she loves. The kitchen ran rampant with the sweet smells that she so enjoyed creating, most prominently her beloved cinnamon rolls. Her timid and gentle eyes met his exuberant sky blues as she gently rose to her toes._

"_Happy birthday, Naruto."_

_Weaving her arms together behind his neck, she closed her delicate eyes as she pushed her lips to his, gently swirling her calming chakra between the two. Moulding the angel's lips to his, his returned affections were her world entire. Gently working his fingers through her dark, silky hair, a smile erupted from beneath his lips as he carefully pushed her against the bench. Swooning to his touch, she placed an arm daintily on the edge of the bench as she also wove a set of fingers through his short, blonde hair. Pulling him towards her as she ran her tongue teasingly across his bottom lip, he deviously opened his mouth as she inhaled deeply, releasing a soft and barely audible moan. His tongue frivolously danced with hers, perfectly moving in tandem as her once calming chakra quickly surged into passionate desire. Naruto playfully lead his lips to the corner of her mouth, gently placing small, teasing kisses from her cheek down to the nape of her neck. A slightly more audible moan escaped her lips as he snickered, tracing a pattern across her collarbone. She bled for him, just as he hungered for her. She cautiously brushed a knee along his thigh, blushing for only an instant as she felt the fire dancing between them – a power that he STILL had over her. Breaking from her momentarily, he placed an arm either side of her on the bench as her breathing slowly returned to her. His arms blocked any chance of escape that she had, though it should have been clear that she'd never have want for escape. As long as he was hers, she had want for little, if anything at all. His eyes met hers with fiery intent as she felt sensual breaths feather across her lips, almost draining the feeling and power from her legs._

'_Darn him,' she thought as she smiled, 'how can he still have that power over me?'_

"_Maybe I want something sweeter than cake," he replied slyly, caressing her cheek with his thumb as he leaned close to her, gently rubbing his nose on hers and sharing the small dab of flour that she'd playfully placed upon him. A smile crept onto her face as she blushed, shyly turning away from him as she placed a hand over her face to try to hide the roses rapidly blossoming in her cheeks._

"_Well," she said, trailing a teasing hint in her voice, "y-you'll just have to wait until after dessert, won't you?"_

_Her timid, lavender eyes darted up to him again, fluttering orchestrations of unconditional love through his body - through his soul. A charming smile that suited him far too well spread across his face as he quickly placed a soft kiss to her lips. He took her hands in his own, pulling her from the bench and away from her sweet-smelling mixture. Catching her eyes once more, he held her hands out in front of him, an unrecognisable glint of hidden intent disguised within his soft gaze._

"_No, I can't wait any longer, and neither will you."_

_Confused and slightly alarmed at how forward he'd suddenly become, her slightly pinking cheeks burst into a burning shade of red, rivalling the most intense flames as she released a sharp gasp._

"_N-Naruto, what do you me- AH!"_

_Before she could answer, a large puff of smoke appeared in front of her, taking her by surprise. She jumped backwards, landing a hand on the bench just short of the cake tin she'd been distracted from._

'_A… a shadow clone? But… why?' she thought, adding to her puzzlement. She quickly scanned the kitchen, even looking past the bench and into the dining room, for any trace of Naruto. Quickly releasing her Byakugan, panic slowly started to creep over her spine._

"_N-Naruto? Naruto?"_

"_Over here."_

_Covering her mouth to hide a squeal, she spun around to find Naruto kneeling beside her in the kitchen, still dressed in his orange and white pyjamas. She paused for just a second before releasing a large sigh, huffing and clenching her fists as she locked her arms to her sides._

"_N-N-NARUTO! Y-YOU SCARED TH-THE… the-"_

_Quickly finding that words were failing her, her mouth fell open. Her eyes widened after she dismissed her Byakugan, staring disbelievingly at the small box that Naruto held in his hand._

"_Hinata Hyuga, you once said that after the war had ended, you'd be holding my hand, walking with me. I never knew you were chasing me until that day, fighting against Pain. I was always too busy, always trying too hard to prove myself and protect everyone… I never noticed you. But after that day, you showed me what it means to love someone: to be willing to die for them, to be willing to just walk with them, to never want to leave their side for a second!"_

_Quickly replacing her hand over her mouth as tears tugged at the corners of her eyes, she darted to the small box in his hand. He reached forward to open it, revealing a small, golden ring. Intricately crafted between golden leaves were small rubies, diamonds and a large sapphire in the centre. She couldn't believe it._

'_He… he isn't… he… is he? Is he… proposing? Oh, my goodness! Oh gosh! Am I dreaming? Delusional? This can't be…'_

"_On that day, I found what I was looking for. I didn't need to be Hokage to be happy. I didn't need everyone else's love and recognition. All I needed, from then on, was you. I love you, Hinata. Countless millennia will pass and that fact will still remain. I want to chase you, I want to walk with you and I want to protect you, forever. The sweetest sound is your voice. The sweetest taste is your lips, and I wake to the sweetest sights of the world every morning I meet your eyes."_

'_I… he… we're… this is… it's… happening! My… my Naruto!' she thought, barely able to string words together as she felt heat rising to her cheeks, an untameable smile quickly wiping itself across her face. "N-Naruto… I…"_

"_I never want to face another morning without seeing your smile. I can't wait another day… no, another instant! I want you to be my wife. Hinata Hyuga, my princess, my angel…"_

_Naruto reached towards Hinata as she shook, taking her hand and removing her promise ring, setting it upon the bench. She watched, still in disbelief, as Naruto placed the new ring on her finger, her smile only growing as she watched it sparkle, tears gently streaming down her cheeks._

'_Yes, yes, Naruto, of course! Yes, I'll marry yo- wait, why am I thinking this? I should be saying it! Come on, Hinata! Pull yourself together! Say it! SAY IT!'_

"… _will you marry me?"_

_A cloud of flour erupted from the kitchen floor as Hinata fainted, tears streaming from her eyes as an ecstatic smile washed across her face._

"_Hinata? H-HINATA!"_

Naruto smiled to himself. That memory would never bring any emotion other than happiness to his heart. No matter how dark the mission, even if it separated him from his love, he need only to remember how sweet her voice sounded when she opened her eyes only moments after she collapsed. He'd never forget the song in her voice that day as she kissed him, or how gruelling preparing the wedding was. Getting Hiashi's blessing was not an easy task. Not only did Naruto have to fight and defeat him in a one-on-one battle (which Neji graciously accepted to assist in training him for), he also had to engage in a ceremony that welcomed him into, and recognised him as a part of, the Hyuga clan - a ceremony that Shikamaru described as a 'huge drag', and he was fortunate enough to only have had to endure the apex. The ceremony spanned an entire three days, during which Naruto was forbidden to leave Hiashi's sight. He was forced to learn the histories of the clan, the differences between the branches, the names of every member… but what Naruto dreaded most was the "Ceremonial Hyuga Clan's Dance of the Sun". As the traditional dance of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi insisted Naruto would need to perform the dance in partner with Hinata before he would finally bestow his blessing and allow the wedding. Thankfully, this was another task that Neji agreed to assist the bumbling blonde with. Naruto thought the academy tests were hard - how the heck he managed to memorise the entire dance in just one day, he still didn't know. Still, if it had meant that he'd be able to pull back Hinata's veil on their wedding day, Naruto would have performed the dance with Hiashi himself.

Thankfully, the aforementioned had not occurred.

Naruto sat up, running his hands through his thick blonde hair. The thin white sheets held little comfort from the cold, and even less from the emptiness of the house. He half-heartedly threw them off, turning to the picture beside his bed and reaching towards it. Holding it just inches from his face, tears once again welled in his already swollen eyes as his thoughts fell to the summons he'd received only days ago.

A visit to the Hogake's office he'd never forget… one he'd never dreamed that he'd have to take.

"_What's up, Grandma Tsunade?" he playfully jested, smiling widely as Tsunade frowned at him over her desktop. A sharp twitch in her eye and a coarse clearing of her throat was almost enough to quell his always-chipper mood._

"_First off, I'd like to point out that this matter is far from laughable, Naruto," she said properly, as Shizune nervously shifted to her side, "and secondly… it…"_

_Naruto's stomach sank as his smile quickly faded. Hinata had left the house to seek Tsunade's help with something earlier that day... and she hadn't returned. His mind went numb as he realised slowly that something was terribly wrong._

"_What's happened to Hinata?"_

_Tsunade frowned, solemnly looking down at her papers. Naruto burst forward, slamming his hands on the sturdy pine wood desk._

"_WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE!" he screamed, his eyes flickering red in panic. Tsunade closed her eyes, standing from behind her desk and walking towards the door. _

"… _Come with me."_

_She opened the two large doors and lead Naruto down a long hallway, Shizune fast in tow._

"_I assume you know Hinata came to see me earlier on today?" Tsunade said, stepping past an open medical room. Naruto inquisitively peered inside, his heart growing heavier with every step._

"_Yeah, she said she needed to see you about something really important… Tsunade, what's going on?" he asked, desperately trying to rouse a response from the terrifyingly silent Hokage. Stopping at a room just before Tsunade's chamber, she slowly turned to Naruto._

"_You need to see for yourself."_

_Tsunade sighed and slowly pushed open the door. A single bed with a dimly lit lamp filled the room, occupied by a single shadowed figure. As Naruto entered the room, Hinata's silhouette slowly washed into view, covered in a thin white sheet. Her breathing was terribly laboured as Naruto scrambled towards her to be by her side, confused and panic-stricken._

"_Hinata! What's wrong? Hinata, are you alright? Hey, Hina, speak to me! It's me, Naruto!" he stammered, his eyes slowly glazing over. Hinata slowly opened her eyes, weakly turning her head to face him as she forced a struggling smile._

"_N… Naruto, you're here… I'm… s-s-s-so c-c-cold…" she said slowly, reaching for him as tears ran down his face. He'd never come across a feeling like the one that presented itself to him now. Her pale face was absent of the loving happiness that so evidently shined from her eyes every other day. He felt absolutely useless as he took her trembling hand in his own, leaning forward and kissing her. Her trembling subsided momentarily as Naruto felt a glimmer of hope light in his chest. Feeling a slight pressure on his lips as Hinata faintly returned his affection, a chill found its way up his spine as a knot solidified in his stomach. He pulled away from her, meeting her eyes gently as Tsunade entered with another blanket._

"_Hinata… who did this to you?"_

"_Shiroi-Hoko-Zetsumei, 'The White Arms of Death'."_

_Naruto turned to Tsunade, surprised at hearing her voice as she gently covered Hinata in the thick brown blanket. Tsunade's empathetic amber eyes were met with a look of absolute despair as he found himself unable to formulate a coherent reply. Hinata coughed weakly as Naruto returned to her, fear consuming his eyes as she weakly held hers open._

"_I… I'm so tired… Naruto, we should… get some sleep…"_

_Naruto quickly leaned over her body, placing a hand against her cheek, still holding her hand strongly._

"_No, no! Hinata, we can't sleep just yet, we have to stay awake, just for a little while, ok? Just for a little while, I promise it won't be too long, a-a-and then we'll both go to sleep, ok? In our bed, in our house," he assured her, feeling her wintery fingers on the warmth of his palm. She smiled and turned to him._

"… _Ok, but… only if you kiss me… first…"_

_He smiled painfully, closing his eyes and placing his lips over hers. She returned his kiss with as much strength as she could muster, smiling beneath his lips as she placed a hand gently on his cheek. Her touch was frail, weak… enough to almost bring him to tears again. Naruto pulled away slowly, opening his eyes as he cupped her hand in both of his, gently touching it to his face. She opened her eyes slightly as he kissed her fingers, her faint strength steadily waning. _

"… _Don't be too… long, Naruto… I love… you…"_

"_I love you, Hinata, just… please, stay awake, I'll be back soon."_

_Her voice was barely a whisper as she closed her eyes and, thankfully, returned to a steadier breathing pattern than before. Naruto kissed her hand once more, placing it gently on the thick sheets that now covered her and left the room. Tsunade turned to Hinata._

"_If there's anything you need, just let me know, ok?" she said, approaching the timid woman and brushing her hair out of her face. Hinata gave Tsunade's hand a light squeeze and warmly smiled at her, nodding and thanking her for everything she'd done. Tsunade bowed, turning towards the door and following after Naruto. Closing the door behind her cautiously, she watched Naruto hang his head, turning to the wall and leaning against it, despair and anger burning throughout his system._

"_This Shiro-haka… zap-whatever has just signed his death-note. Who the hell is he?" he asked, lethal intent thick within his sharp words. Tsunade frowned at the blonde, understanding how confused he felt and knowing full well he wouldn't approve of what she was about to say. Turning and walking towards the railing of the building, she shook her head as Shizune lowered her own._

"_The Shiroi-Hoko-Zetsumei is not a person, Naruto," Tsunade began, lowering her tone. "It's a disease; a deadly disease that has only affected the Hyuga clan. Even the most ancient scrolls of the clan have only ever told of three occurrences involving 'The White Arms of Death' in the history of the Hyuga bloodline…"_

_Tsunade hesitated for just a moment. Naruto turned to her, confusion and anger burning in the pit of his stomach as he failed to make heads or tails of what she was saying. A tear left her eye as she turned from the view of Konoha that her tower offered._

"… _and… there is no known cure."_

"_THEN MAKE ONE!"_

_Naruto's cry could be heard across Konoha as he turned furiously towards her as she cringed. "I'm not just gonna sit by like some useless idiot and watch my wife die! You're supposed to be the greatest medical-nin of all time, how come you can't handle one stupid measly disease-"_

"_Don't you think I've tried?" Tsunade retorted, turning to him and meeting his flaring eyes with the same fear that was so painfully evident in Naruto's tone. "You honestly think I would sit here and do nothing for her? What do you think I've been trying to do for the last seven hours? I've exhausted my chakra techniques, all of my medical jutsu, every damn thing I know! If you want to take this out on me Naruto, be my guest, but don't you DARE accuse me of doing nothing for her! I even attempted to…"_

_She paused, gasping and placing a hand over her face. Naruto immediately realised how brash his outburst was as tears began to fall from her eyes. He'd pieced together all he needed to know, and his reddening eyes faded, once more, to the sky blue of his father's._

"… _You attempted to transfer your 'Creation Rebirth' jutsu to her, didn't you?"_

_Tsunade froze for just a moment. She turned to Naruto, seeing the anger quickly fall from his face, replaced quickly by a look of absolute shame._

"_I've endured my loved ones dying because I couldn't do anything for them, Naruto. My brother, Nawaki… and Dan, the love of my life… they died because I couldn't do anything."_

_Tsunade turned to Naruto, taking a deep breath and attempting not to stagger her words. Naruto hung his head in guilt, realising he'd just scolded the closest person he had to any kind of family. _

"_I wouldn't wish that feeling upon my worst enemy, Naruto. When that emotion consumes you, you live solely in a world devoid of happiness. You can't… I won't…"_

_Naruto's eyes shot open as Tsunade's arms flung around him as she gently sobbed. Unable to bring himself to return her embrace, he remained painfully still, dumbfounded and helpless._

"_I won't let you suffer that pain, Naruto. If you have to blame my failure in order to allow yourself to avoid it, you can. You can't fall victim to-"_

"_Take mine."_

_Tsunade leaned back to meet his eyes, now prominently glazed and exhausted from thought._

"_Wh… what?"_

_Naruto placed his hand in Tsunade's, forming a chakra transferral hand-seal._

"_You said you've got no more chakra. Please, Tsunade, take mine. Take it all. Take Kurama's, take all of it, just… don't stop now. Don't give up… not… not on Hinata…"_

_Tsunade shuddered as she saw the despair in Naruto's eyes. Clinging to her like a child clings to its mother, even with her superhuman strength she felt his grip tighten as the Uzumaki symbol formed on the back of his hand. Tsunade looked down, unable to fathom how he'd formed such an advanced seal so easily – this kind of chakra transferral jutsu was forbidden, and known only to the Uzumaki bloodline._

"_Naruto… I don't know what this will do, if anything at-"_

"_Please…" Naruto cut her off, shaking in her hands, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes tightly as he fell to his knees, wrapping an arm around Tsunade as he still held her hand with an unyielding grip, "… just… try… Kurama is basically immortal, his chakra will… will help, I just… I have to try, Tsunade… please, take it…"_

_Tsunade fell to her knees as she embraced the despairing young man._

The picture frame shook in his hands as he was reminded of her beautifully gentle face. Naruto hated himself. Nothing he tried worked. He lost Hinata. She'd never smile at him when they woke up again. She'd never blush at even his most innocent advances again. She'd never say his name again, she'd never sing again… she'd never… never…

"_**AAARGH!"**_

Naruto bellowed as Kurama's chakra flowed through his system, causing the picture frame to fall from his hands to the ground. Shaking his room and quite possibly the rest of his house, Naruto slammed his hands on his head as a searing and uncontrollable force consumed him. He knew this emotion only too well – it was the exact same emotion he'd felt when he thought Pain had killed Hinata – absolute hatred. The killer intent burst through his mind as he wept, his body beginning to deform as the entire form of the nine-tailed fox began to consume him. He was losing his mind…

"NO!"

Naruto cried out as he suppressed his chakra, forcing the chains back around his emotions. He would never surrender to hatred, not again. Restraining his anger, his tails slowly shrank back into his body as the crimson aura faded to nothing. Exhausting himself, he collapsed to the floor, straining to see through his once again blue eyes. He'd almost gone back on his word. How could he insult Kushina's memory like that? If losing Hinata wasn't bad enough, dismissing everything his mother stood for as she died to protect him would…

Angrily, he slammed his fists into the floorboards, splintering the planks as fatigue cloaked his body. Nothing could tame the whirlwind of emotions that spun throughout his body as he sluggishly picked himself up, setting himself on his bed once more. He looked down sadly at the cracked glass of the picture frame that another outburst had caused him to drop. No matter the condition of the photo or the frame, her angelic beauty still shone through. Her peaceful gaze remained until her final breath…

"… _Is that my Naruto?"_

_Naruto slowly edged into the room just as Neji walked out, stopping just before the doorway and placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. After giving him an assuring nod, Neji proceeded into the hallway, turning to the direction of Hanabi, Hiashi and Tsunade. After an entire night spent with the two, transferring chakra into her increasingly fragile body, the only absolution Naruto, Hiashi and Tsunade faced was no improvement to Hinata's condition whatsoever. Her spirit was too pure to allow Kurama's chakra to enter and heal her body, a fact that Naruto had been graced with after he'd almost completely drained himself of life. Hiashi had taken Naruto's place at Hinata's side while Naruto recovered, sharing precious final moments with his daughter. Hanabi and Neji allowed him to speak to and see Hinata first, respectfully joining him a little later. Neji refused to stay in the Hyuga Estate as soon as he heard news of Hinata's condition, dashing madly after Hiashi and Hanabi only moments after they left the village to rush to Hinata's aid. Neji smiled as Hinata thanked him for coming, politely stating that he really didn't have to as he knew she disliked being made a fuss of. After a quick joke at how much of a "fuss" Naruto constantly makes about her, Neji shared a loving embrace with his cousin, thereafter sitting in silence by her side as Hanabi and her sister shared a tearful reunion. Hiashi understood the implications of the sickness and remained steadfast to her side, withdrawing his tearing presence along with Hanabi only moments before Naruto arrived, allowing the two some form of privacy. Naruto took his seat at her side, thankful that she remained unaware of his life-threatening actions._

"_How are you, sweetie?" Naruto asked, smiling weakly. Hinata reached an arm out to touch his face as he leaned in quickly, savouring every second of her touch that he could. He was so convinced that she would survive - he couldn't bear to see her if he thought otherwise. Hinata gently winded her fingers through Naruto's hair as she struggled to lift herself to his lips, prompting Naruto to quickly lean into her ensuing passions. He swiftly snaked his arms underneath her to support her weight as he felt her smile beneath his lips. He felt himself unable to pull away. Something terrible lurched in his stomach._

_He…_

'_No!' he told himself. 'I will NOT miss this. This will NOT be the last time that I kiss her, so stop thinking like that, God-damn it!' _

_He pulled away from Hinata, meeting her eyes with all the love and warmth that he found in her smile every morning. She ran her palm across his cheek as he smiled, placing his hand over hers._

"_It's raining, isn't it?"_

_Naruto smiled, kissing the palm of her hand._

"_Yeah, it is. Pretty heavy rain, too. That's your favourite kind, right?" he asked, forcing a less-than-convincing smile. Hinata nodded, gently dragging her nails softly across his cheek._

"_We'll have to go for a… a walk after I'm better, won't we?"_

_Naruto's heart broke inside his chest. All he wanted to believe was that she'd be fine, that after a minute or two, Tsunade would walk in, say 'all she needs is rest' and that he could take her home. He wanted so desperately to take her home and watch her cook, watch her sleep, be with her, chase her, train with her…_

_But for the moment, all he could do was gently nod… and lie._

"_Yeah, we will. We can go to our secret place, outside Konoha, remember?"_

_Hinata blushed as she placed a hand on her cheek._

"_Our first date, our first kiss… our first time…" she giggled slightly, turning to Naruto, "… how could I forget?"_

_He smiled as he stole a kiss from her quickly, happy that she was at least smiling. A moment of serenity ran through the room as Naruto ran his thumb across the back of Hinata's hand. His only regret: the sentence that broke the silence._

"_Naruto… you tried so hard to help me last night… thank you."_

_Naruto's eyes widened as he released a short and shocked breath. He froze, speechless as her weak smile slowly grew larger. He swallowed a lump in the back of his throat as he spoke._

"_You… you were awake?"_

_Hinata nodded. Naruto felt the familiarity of heart-breaking despair creep into his throat as he voiced the only thought that entered his mind:_

"… _Why?"_

_He wasn't ready for her response._

"Because you asked me to stay awake, silly."

_Naruto couldn't bear it anymore. The thought of sharing their last kiss, losing her, never hearing her laugh and sing again… It all came cascading down in a violent avalanche of emotion as he buried his head in the blankets over her stomach as she placed a hand over his head. His pain chorused through the walls of the building as he wept over her._

"_I couldn't do anything, Hinata! I couldn't do anything to save you, I couldn't protect you! I… I failed… You said you'd always be with me and now, because of me, you can't be! If I had known more, if I… if I could have done ANYTHING! I tried, Hinata… I would have died if it meant saving you-_

"_And where would that have left me?"_

_Naruto opened his tightly shut eyes as he quickly turned to her, a look of sympathy shining through pale eyes as she gazed back at him. She once again placed her hand tenderly against his cheek._

_"Naruto, if being alive meant living without you, I'd prefer to be where I am, sharing my last moments with the man that I love," she said, barely above a whisper. Her voice was a broken melody; a beautiful and sad song that Naruto prayed would last longer than the final verse. Naruto blinked gently as he pressed his cheek against Hinata's soft palm._

"_You tried so hard to stay strong… Th-that's what I always loved about you. No matter what, you never let anything g-get you down," she said, her trembling hands gently calming themselves. "Naruto, I won't ask you to stop crying, because if this situation were reversed… no force on Earth would halt my tears… but you have to remember… remember to smile. Remember us with happiness, not with loss."_

_Naruto closed his eyes as he took her hand, kissing her fingers gently as he almost willingly smiled. She shared his happiness as she lifted herself to him once more, taking his face in both of her hands as she sat up and pulled him over her. Locking their lips in a shared smile as her fingers traversed the blonde hair that she so dearly loved, she mischievously ran her tongue across the bottom of his lips. Winding his fingers through her hair, he returned her passionate advance, thankful that she still maintained her beautiful and innocent playfulness. A light burned within Naruto – this wasn't the end. A love like this doesn't end. A moment of heaven consumed eternity for the two lovers – sadly, a moment that was short-lived. Finding her strength suddenly and completely sapped, Hinata quivered beneath Naruto, prompting his eyes to immediately shoot open._

"_Hinata?"_

_She released a staggered breath, followed by a barely audible 'oh…' as she fell from his hands. Naruto felt his happiness wash into the thundering rainstorm outside._

"_Hinata!"_

_Naruto paid little attention to Hiashi as he silently entered the room, quickly followed by Neji, Hanabi and Tsunade. Hinata's pale eyes seemed to glaze over as Naruto quickly patted her quivering hand._

"_Hinata, Hinata! No, no! Hinata!"_

_Hiashi and Neji were all but blurs as they rushed to Hinata's opposite side, Hiashi taking his daughter's free hand fatheringly and staggering his words for the first time in his life. Hanabi approached Hiashi's side, covering her mouth with her hands as she silently wept._

"_Hin… Hinata! D-daughter, please! Not now, Hi-Hinata!" he pleaded, standing over her as Neji released his Byakugan, quickly darting over her body. Neji swallowed hard as he closed his eyes painfully._

"_H… her chakra… along with her vital pathways have… all been sealed shut… the sickness has… Hinata…"_

_Neji dismissed his Byakugan and fell to his knees alongside Hiashi, placing a hand on the sheets covering Hinata's stomach as she slowly staggered her breathing. Hanabi latched on to her father's side as Tsunade stood behind Naruto, placing an arm on his shoulder which Naruto prominently held._

"_F…f-father…"_

_Hiashi immediately placed a hand upon Hinata's cheek, smiling sadly as she faintly turned to him._

"_I'm right here, Hinata, right by your side. Neji, Hanabi, Naruto and Tsunade are still here as well. We're all here for you."_

_Returning his affections by placing her hand on Hiashi's face, she gently shook as she painfully smiled._

"_Father… Hanabi, and… Neji… you would have only h-heard yesterday… that I was sick… you must have been… really… worried… th-th… th-th-thank you, a-all of you… I l-love you all, s-so much…"_

_Naruto released her hand as she reached over to Hiashi, embracing her father as warmly as her arms would allow. Solid tears left his strong pale eyes as he gently fought back heavy sobs._

"_Th-thank you for… trying so hard for… me, father… thank you for e-everything. I love y-you…" she said, trying her hardest to lock her arms behind her father's broad neck._

"_I love you, Hinata. I always have. I'm so proud of you, the woman you've become, and…" He paused, turning to Naruto and smiling, then returned to his daughter. "… I'm so happy that I was able to witness your wedding. I love you, Hinata…"_

_He placed a kiss upon her forehead, a tear falling from his cheek to hers as Hinata motioned to Hanabi. Unable to restrain herself, Hanabi burst towards her, weeping and sniffling loudly._

"_No! I love you so much, Hinata! Y-you can't leave me alone!" she cried, holding her sister as she sobbed against her chest. Hinata placed her arms lovingly around her as she wailed, reassuring her with a gentle swaying motion._

"_I… I love you, Hanabi… you have… to make sure you… look after the family while I'm gone, ok? Stay strong… you've… n-never let me… down before…"_

_Hanabi was hysterical. Leaning up to kiss her big sister's cheek, she tenderly brushed Hinata's hair away from her face._

"_I promise, Hinata. This isn't 'goodbye', ok? Like we promised… it's… it's only 'see you soon'. Don't ever forget that! I love you, I love you so much…"_

_After another tearful hug, Hinata reached for Neji who quickly met her side as Hiashi stood and embraced Hanabi, who was still inconsolable._

"_Neji…" Hinata started as he took her hand within both of his. Smiling warmly, he placed a hand upon her face. "Thank you f-for coming all… all this way, just to… just to see me…"_

_Neji pulled his cousin into a warm embrace as she gently quivered. Managing to wrap her arms around his back, Hinata pulled herself up ever-so-gently._

"_Hinata… thank you for… thank you for showing me what family truly means," Neji said sincerely through closed and tearing eyes. "If it hadn't been for you, I… I wouldn't be the Shinobi I am today. I…"_

_Neji always struggled with expressing his emotions. He hadn't even told Tenten that he loved her yet, and their relationship had spanned almost half a decade. Hinata squeezed her arms as tight as she could around Neji._

"_I… I love y-you… too, N-Neji. M-make sure you… you watch over Hanabi a-and… and father…"_

_Neji released her after another quick embrace, allowing her to turn to the final two occupants._

"_Lady Tsunade… thank you, so… so much for… all you've done, and… and how… hard you tried. I'll… never forget… you…"_

_Tsunade, even with her hardened persona approached the young woman with glistening eyes. She took her hand carefully, leaned towards her and placed a kiss on Hinata's forehead. Hinata smiled as Tsunade met her glance with a hopeless promise._

"_Hinata, I thank you for taking care of Naruto for me. If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't be who he is today," she said, turning to Naruto and smiling warmly at him as he was finally able to return a sincere smile. "He wouldn't be the ninja we love so much, and I know I'll never forget you. Watch over Konoha, I know you'll keep us safe."_

_Hinata smiled in recognition of this, turning to Naruto as Tsunade embraced her. After returning her embrace, Hinata smiled weakly and lay down once more, turning to the last occupant of her room, the love of her life, the reason she wanted to wake up every morning. Opening her mouth to expose her straight white teeth, she smiled and reached for Naruto. Tsunade moved to the side as the blonde-haired man took to her side._

"_Just… one more kiss…"_

_Naruto closed his eyes in a vain attempt to stop the tears, only to have a small, white hand brush them away. Opening his eyes, unable to look away from her in her last moments, Naruto leaned over his wife and shared one more kiss with her. She warily weaved her arms around his neck, happy for this moment to be her last. Her last sight, her final taste, her ending song would be Naruto Uzumaki. The Gods had allowed this, and she accepted that she would leave happily, peacefully. He parted from her lips as his hand cupped her face. Hinata returned the gesture, placing her petite white hands upon his whisker-marked cheek._

"_We'll have… have to take… a r-rain… check on th-that walk, sweetie…" she stammered, her voice barely reminiscent of a whisper. Naruto placed their foreheads together as he locked eyes with her, painfully staring into her beautiful, pale eyes._

"_I love you, Hinata Hyuga. I love you more than anything, but… I… I can't lose you… Hinata, I just can't…"_

_Hinata used the last of her strength to push herself to her lover's lips for the last time. Remembering his strong jawline, his untidy and mischievous golden hair, but mostly, his deep, enchanting sky blue eyes…_

_Oh, how she'd miss them…_

_She fell from his lips, keeping her hand strong to his cheek. As her eyes gently flickered, the remnants of Naruto's thinning threads of hope were erased. He tearfully covered her chalk-white hand with his, holding her against his dampened cheek._

"_I promise… I'll see you… again… Naruto, I… I won't let this… be the end… so please, remember to… always smile, be… because…"_

_Naruto gritted his teeth as he brushed his hand through Hinata's hair, wiping a single falling tear from her cheek. The culmination of unanswered prayers and unvoiced despair cascaded through his system. Hanging off her every word, he caressed her hand with both of his as she delivered her final verse…_

_The deepest cut._

"… I… I… love you, N-Naruto U… Uzumaki… C-countless mi… millennia will have… p… passed, and that… fact… will still… remain…"

_Naruto's heart stopped as Hinata's grip fell slack in his hands. His eyes burned. His breath ceased. Ice consumed the room as Hinata's eyes gently closed… for the last time._

"_Hinata? No, no please, God no!" Naruto's arms fixated around her shoulders, shaking her despairingly as he pleaded to her sealed eyes. "Hinata, open your eyes, open your eyes, please! Just one last time, open your eyes, please… I'm not… I'm not ready for this… j-just… please… o-open your e-e-eyes…"_

_His stuttered cries of anguish echoed through the hospital as Tsunade quickly ran to Naruto's side as he whimpered beside Hinata's lifeless face. Hanabi covered her face as she turned to Hiashi, burying herself in his cloak. Neji quickly paced to Naruto's side as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Naruto turned to see Tsunade, Neji, Hiashi and Hanabi staring back at him. Despair consumed him as he fell towards Tsunade, wrapping his arms around her. As he called out his beloved's name, they all surrounded the young man, offering all the comforts except for the one thing none of them could promise…_

_Naruto's morning sun would never rise again._

He'd run home after that, not able to handle the hurricane of emotions tearing through his system. On the way home, he ran into a few of his friends who attempted to stop him, but to no avail. He refused to look any of them in the eyes, instead opting to shout 'leave me alone!' abruptly before stampeding off to his house.

Naruto replaced the frame as best he could, sitting it next to his desk. When morning came, he'd fetch a new frame as soon as he could. He couldn't leave his angel staring through broken glass. Setting it beside the wall and drifting in and out of thought, something next to his bed caught his eye. Something that almost seemed to speak to him.

Something that, for the first time today, seemed like a comforting answer to his ailment.

"_No, it can stay right here," Hinata said, placing her hand-crafted kunai knife on a ledge just beside her side of the bed, "just in case I ever need to protect you while you sleep. No one wakes my Naruto except me, you know that."_

The last thread snapped upon that thought.

An answer he was looking for? No, but… an answer. He was broken, without meaning, and without Hinata… he had no reason to continue. He would never again have his place in the sun. Allowing himself one last fleeting glimpse of the angel behind the now-broken picture frame, he shamefully picked up her signature kunai, the blue ribbons attached to the end dangling lifelessly over his fingers. He slid the door of his room open, flooding the dark hallways with a dim light. He wouldn't do it indoors - that would be too much mess for the poor maids to clean up, and he wouldn't want to be a burden. He made his way through his house, walking towards his large garden. The rain in which Hinata danced so many times, the rain that she loved so dearly… surely, it would be kind enough to allow their spirits to meet. Surely, they would take him to his beloved.

Noticing that he'd left a light on in the kitchen, he half-heartedly opened the door to switch it off. However, the sights that greeted him instead made his eyes burn and widen, his heart stop and his insides tighten.

Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Hiashi, Hanabi, Neji, Tsunade and Kakashi were scattered about his living room. Kakashi didn't even have his mask on, revealing his proud and strong jawline. Naruto scanned the guests as each of them turned to him. They noted Hinata's kunai in his hand as Sakura rose from her chair, holding her arm and staring directly at Naruto. Ino took to her side, tears filling her vibrant blue eyes. Hiashi, Hanabi and Neji retained a forlorn expression – being present at Hinata's final moments granted them the exact emotion that Naruto was suffering. Sasuke and Kakashi both stared at Naruto, empathy evident in despairing eyes as Tsunade approached him, her amber eyes filled with sympathy and love. Naruto was overwhelmed as he spoke, clearly showing that he hadn't the slightest clue about what to say.

"… how long have you been waiting…?"

Nobody answered as Sakura and Tsunade approached him. A single tear left Sakura's eye as she choked out the only thing that seemed appropriate to say.

"Ts-Tsunade told us everything… We… thought you could use the company."

Naruto dropped Hinata's kunai as he fell to his knees, cupping his face despairingly and prompting Sakura, Ino, Hanabi and Tsunade to quickly dash to his side. Tsunade kneeled before him, welcoming the weeping blonde into her arms as she cradled him, whispering soft words of comfort and placing a kiss on his forehead.

"It's ok, Naruto, it's alright. I'm here, we're here… we're all here…"

Words all but failed the remainder as Sakura and Ino planted a soft kiss on his cheek, taking to either side of him as Hanabi wrapped her arms underneath her brother-in-law's chest. Placing her head into his shoulder, Hanabi softly whimpered against Naruto, finally prompting his eyes open - even if only for a moment. Naruto removed his hands from his face and placed his arms around Hanabi, quickly sealing his eyes once again as he gently cried with her.

"Naruto, I… I'm so sorry," Ino said, tightly shutting her eyes to his side. "If… if there was something I could do, anything I could do to bring her back, I… I would, I'm… I'm so sorry…"

Naruto turned to her, locking his blue eyes with hers as he nodded sadly – a silent thank you. She accepted his silence and rested her head against his shoulder, gently nuzzling against his white shirt. Hiashi and Neji both placed a hand around Naruto, receiving a glance of recognition from the suffering blonde.

"We'd all be willing to give our lives to change this, Naruto," Neji said softly, his eyes still weeping grieving tears.

"Life is full of cruelties Naruto, but, knowing my Hinata, she would never want to see you this way… even if it brought you together again."

Hiashi quickly motioned to Hinata's kunai that he'd retrieved from the floor. Naruto stared at the weapon as guilt and self-pity cloaked his eyes, disappointed at himself for even thinking of going through with such a disgraceful deed as he shamefully met Hiashi's eyes. Instead of finding mirrored disappointment as was his suspicion, he found a stern, fathering look of warmth and acceptance. Sasuke and Kakashi suddenly kneeled before him as Sasuke met Naruto's eyes. Hanabi emerged from Naruto's chest, moving to Tsunade's side next to her father. Sasuke and Kakashi placed an arm on either of Naruto's shoulders as he darted between them.

"Naruto, since that day we all fought together nine years ago, nothing has changed." Sasuke finally said, motioning to Sakura. Sakura leaned in front of Naruto, smiling as she nodded gently. "We're all in this together. You were the one who brought me back; you welcomed me with open arms as the rest of the world rejected me as an outcast. Out of everyone in this room… you were the only one who never gave up... and now…"

Sasuke turned to Kakashi, who nodded as Sasuke returned to Naruto.

"… it's our turn to help you. Believe it."

Kakashi smiled as he turned to Naruto.

"Right from day one, you've always spurred us on, Naruto. If not for you, none of us would be where we are - in a time of peace." Kakashi's words were strong and calming as always, almost enough to rouse a smile from the weeping young man. "Having such an experience as losing the one you love, for one who's done so much… it almost feels like a sin against nature itself. But the beauty behind this is that you're still here. Hinata lives on, as long as she never leaves your memory."

He turned to Tsunade as she smiled at Naruto. Hiashi, Neji and Hanabi all moved to face him, saddened smiles along their faces as Hiashi's strong tone filled the room.

"Naruto… no matter what the circumstance, you will always have a home at the Hyuga Estate."

Hanabi placed her hand over Naruto's as she smiled warmly, encouraging a teary Naruto to return the gesture. Tsunade cupped his face affectionately as she planted another kiss on his head.

"You know you will always have me, Naruto."

"Same here," chimed in Ino, leaning the side of her head against Naruto's as she hugged him. Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi banded together, as Sakura wiped her eyes, taking Naruto's free hand in hers. Sasuke placed an arm around Kakashi and Sakura as Kakashi placed a hand upon Naruto's shoulder. All four of them nodded.

"Team Kakashi," Sakura started, turning between the four of them and then resting her gaze upon Naruto, "our family forever, ok?"

Naruto met their eyes. He turned to face everyone in the room: Ino, who gave another quick hug and smile; Tsunade, who smiled warmly; Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi, who all gave an assuring nod and, finally, Neji, Hiashi and Hanabi, who all bowed their heads. Taking in the surrounding, Naruto bowed his head to all of them.

"… Thank you, all of you."

Naruto thanked them all, sincerely, for everything. However, for all their comforts, all their words… the only thing that remained to Naruto Uzumaki was the painful fact:

Hinata was lost to him… forever.

* * *

Wow.

Believe me, this might have been sad to read (and painfully long, sorry 'bout that), but Christ… imagine waking up from this after being placed in Naruto's position, because that's what I did. Believe it or not, as I've said in the description, this entire scenario was an incredibly intense dream I had, just two nights ago. I just had to get it off my chest, because I fucking love Hinata and I would be totally ok if she were to live forever. Wouldn't bug me in the slightest. In fact, I'd prefer it. But yeah. I left the characters and situations rather unexplained, because there are far too many different scenarios expected at the ending of Shippuden, but I preferred to write it this way so you, the reader, could come up with your own assumptions as to how the characters got where they are, circumstantial stuff… Basically to make you think - and I hope you don't hate me for it. :P

Also, I don't usually do the whole "different language" thing, so I miiiiiiight be a little off with my Japanese translation of "The white arms of death." But that's the way I heard it in the dream and I know this, because even though I spelled it completely wrong I jotted it down as soon as I woke up…

After I finished wiping my eyes, that is…

Anyways, this is the first fic of mine that's gone up, so by all means let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you, and if there is enough interest, I will start posting more fics.

… and yes, I promise my next fic will be happier than this one.

All the best and hope to hear from you soon. Good writing to all!

****UPDATE: I've had a fair bit of interest in continuing the story, but honestly, it's**  
****_**much_ more powerful as a one-shot. So that's how it'll stay. All the best, guys and girls!****

_**LS.**_


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